The number of deaths from coronavirus in China has risen to 81, with almost 3, 000 persons confirmed infected.
Ninety-five per cent of deaths and more than 50 per cent of infections are in Hubei province
The number of deaths in Hubei province has climbed from 56 to 76, with five deaths elsewhere.
The national New Year holiday has been extended to February 2 in an attempt to contain the spread.
On Monday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province and centre of the outbreak.
Chongqing municipality – one of China’s biggest – has banned inter-province bus travel for its nearly 30 million residents, while Hong Kong has banned Hubei residents from entering.
On Monday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province and centre of the outbreak.
World Heath Organisation chief will hold meetings in Beijing on Monday
The Associated Press has published a useful list of the latest figures on coronavirus infections. I
t says these are up-to-date as of midday on Monday in Beijing:
China: 2,744, with 769 of those newly confirmed in the 24 hours through midnight Sunday. Five are in Hong Kong and two in Macao. Nearly all of the 80 deaths have been in Hubei province, with four elsewhere in China.
United States: 5, 2 in southern California and 1 each in Washington State, Chicago, and Arizona.
Eight cases have bee reported in Thailand, Australia, 5; South Korea, 4; Japan, 4; Singapore, 4; Malaysia, 4; France, 3; Taiwan, 3; Vietnam, 2; 1 each in Canada and Nepal.
Quick takes
What is the virus causing illness in Wuhan?
It is a novel coronavirus – that is to say, a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. Many of those infected either worked or frequently shopped in the Huanan seafood wholesale market in the centre of the Chinese city, which also sold live and newly slaughtered animals. New and troubling viruses usually originate in animal hosts. Ebola and flu are examples.
What are the symptoms caused by the Wuhan coronavirus?
The virus causes pneumonia. Those who have fallen ill are reported to suffer coughs, fever and breathing difficulties. In severe cases there can be organ failure. As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs we have against flu will not work. If people are admitted to hospital, they may get support for their lungs and other organs as well as fluids. Recovery will depend on the strength of their immune system. Many of those who have died are known to have been already in poor health.
Is the virus being transmitted from one person to another?
Human to human transmission has been confirmed by China’s national health commission. As of 24 January the Chinese authorities had acknowledged more than 1,000 cases and 41 deaths. In the past week, the number of confirmed infections has more than tripled and cases have been found in 13 provinces, as well as the municipalities Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Tianjin. The virus has also been confirmed outside China, in Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the US, and Vietnam. There have not been any confirmed cases in the UK at present, with the 14 people tested for the virus all proving negative. The actual number to have contracted the virus could be far higher as people with mild symptoms may not have been detected. Modelling by WHO experts at Imperial College London suggests there could be 4,000 cases, with uncertainty putting the margins between 1,000 and 9,700.
At what point should you go to the doctor if you have a cough, say?
Unless you have recently travelled to China or been in contact with someone infected with the virus, then you should treat any cough or cold symptoms as normal. There is generally no need to visit a doctor for a cough unless it is persistent or you are having other symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing or you feel very unwell.
The Guardian (UK), BBC, AP
